Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-07-05
Governor ices Address.

At the Tammany celebration IN New
York yesterday Governor Lee is reported rs
max ing the principal talk" He received
splendid ovation when introduced by
Grand Sachem Flack. In eloquent Ian
guage no told the story of American indie
pendence, and the part taken in securing 1t
by Virginia and the other States. ~ spirit
ell allusion to Thomas Jefferson drew forth
loud cheers The most interesting part OF
his address, however, was that in which he
touched upon the civil war and pleaded for
good feeling between the sections. He said
the South as well as the North was actualed
hy sincere and conscientious convictions,
and when each side was willing to grant the
other the sincerity which it claims for itself
the States will be drawn into closer union.
When he said that, whatever were the con"
yictions of the South in regard 10 The rights
of the States the war had settled nil ques-
tons of dispute and there would he no more
disunion, the applause was deetening. Gov.
Lee spoke in full, strong voice, and HIS
reference to his residence in "Old Virginia"
was the signal for three cheers for the
Mother of Presidents" He told of the an
nual custom of the remnant of the Pamunky
Governor of Virginia, and said that nowthe
custom is reversed. Instead of the Indians
going to the Governor, the representative of
the Commonwealth has come to the Indian,
and came in great ship laden with Virginia
tobacco, that all might smoke the pipe OF
peace. He came to join with the braves of
Tammany Hall to renew upon these affairs
the fires of the first revolution. Virginia
o.day clasps hands with New York in the
celebration of this event, rs our fathers did
about this great metropolis in the days Of
the revolution. Gov. Lee said: 81 regret
that the grand sachem of Tammany Hail.
John Kelly, is not here to-day, that his eyes
might look upon this scene and see the two
sections of the country coming closer and
closer together in fraternal greeting. The
Old Dominion was the first to declare her
rights as an Independent State, and in May,
1776, George Mason drew up her bill Of
rights The orator dwet upon the part
that Virginia had taken in the struggle for
liberty and the acts Of Richard Henry Lee
before the Continental Congress; Patrick
Henry, with his "If this be treason, make
the most of it," the act of Thomas Jefferson,
when he framed the charter Of American
liberty, and George Washington, when he
organized the militia of the colony. Con-
tinuing, Gov. Lee remarked: "If our fore
fathers were derelict in anything, it was in
that they did not fully particularize and
fully set forth the rights of the States. AT
the time of that session there WAS young
man, John Randolph, who said that he saw
the poison under the eagles wing which
would bring pestilence over the land
That poison was there, my friends,
and yon know when the pestience
came. We of the South insisted that
we had a right 10 withdraw from the
Union if we were dissatisfied You of New
York thought otherwise. | do not refer 10
this dead past 10 raise up sectional feeling
No, but | want you TO believe that we of
the South fought for what we believed to
be our rights as honestly as did you of tho
North. We did not light for ratons when
we had to eat persimmons 10 fJ our stom-
achs to the rations nor for clothing; nor
for Confederate money, for it was not worth
ten cents yard bnt for right. But that
is past. 1t was submitted TO the sword and
was decided against Us. Now the white
winged angel of peace covers the land, and
Virgina's star shines as brightly in that
Union of blue and the stars and stripes as
does New York, and if those stars and
stripes mean any thing they mean that Fir-
GINA and New York stand or equal
terms There is no contention now. All is
peace, and the Union is indeed one and in-
separable, and the South recognizes that
fact. Methinks l hear the voice of the
great soldier who sleeps in Riverside Park
saying from his death bed that he feels that
great era of peace is approaching Vr-
gnia is not sulking in corner. The bars
on her mountain side are down, and trains
laden with her products she is sending to